Boil water notices remain in place for some South Texas residents

A boil water advisory in South Texas’ Webb County has been extended after officials said tests continued to detect bacteria in the water supply.

The notice to Laredo residents was first issued on Oct. 10 after water samples showed traces of E. coli. Water samples taken late Wednesday showed the bacteria were still present in some city water systems. The earliest the termination can be lifted is Thursday evening, the Laredo Morning Times reported.

The cause of the contamination is unclear, although city officials say aging infrastructure is a likely cause.

“Unfortunately, the same investigation shows that the overall problem has been going on for several years and we are now trying to catch up with a problem that has evolved into what it is today,” Laredo Mayor Victor Treviño said Tuesday.

The city is investigating whether an illegal water connection at one of the city’s utility sites with high levels of bacteria is responsible for the contamination.

“We want to remind the community that illegal compounds can lead to water pollution and pose a direct threat to public health,” city officials said in a statement. “The city also urges residents to hire certified plumbers for any work related to water connections. Illegal connections can result in fines and interruptions to water supply.”

According to a Wednesday evening update from city officials, E. coli was found at one testing site, while high bacteria counts were found at a nearby site. A further site was clean, tests showed, and officials sought permission to disconnect water supplies to deal with the situation.

State Sen. Judith Zaffirini, a Democrat from Laredo, posted daily updates on her Facebook page, including water distribution locations in affected areas.

“An additional 7 truckloads of water were distributed and 91 home deliveries were made yesterday. Homebound and elderly residents should call 3-1-1 for assistance,” she posted early Thursday morning.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott issued a disaster declaration for Webb County on Wednesday, authorizing the “use of all available state government and political subdivision resources reasonably necessary to respond to this disaster.”

In addition to more state funding, the declaration will also allow county and city officials to apply for federal aid as they work to resolve the problem.

The Laredo incident is the latest in a series of seemingly regular incidents in Texas. In August, residents in Rendon, a city in North Texas, were ordered to boil their water after water pressure at a utility plant fell below acceptable levels. Last month, Odessa residents were asked to boil water after low water levels were detected at one of the city’s water towers.